Thread Tools

I haven't seen this poll before ... ecuse it has been posted
What team would you like PATs to face on wild card weekend,
Jaguars or Steelers?
I know PATs can take on either but what would be better for the PATs
A comment on why, would be nice.

With all the lust for a third seed, I'd still rather give the Pats one last tune-up game before heading to Indy or Denver. I like the Steelers to teach Cincy about playoff games and give Denver fits. I'm not as concerned about the Colts as the Broncos, beside the emotional upset, their defense is going to be swiss cheese for Tommy and Dillon. I also expect our revived D to give Peyton much more trouble.

I read a Herald article this morning talking about Hobbs still learning press coverage techniques. He has Coles and Chambers to practice on to close out the regular season, and whomever we play in the wildcard game. Hopefully, that will prepare him to knock Stokely or that 'dadblasted brain flatulence CRS' no. 2 WR on the Colts around properly.

With all the lust for a third seed, I'd still rather give the Pats one last tune-up game before heading to Indy or Denver. I like the Steelers to teach Cincy about playoff games and give Denver fits. I'm not as concerned about the Colts as the Broncos, beside the emotional upset, their defense is going to be swiss cheese for Tommy and Dillon. I also expect our revived D to give Peyton much more trouble.

I read a Herald article this morning talking about Hobbs still learning press coverage techniques. He has Coles and Chambers to practice on to close out the regular season, and whomever we play in the wildcard game. Hopefully, that will prepare him to knock Stokely or that 'dadblasted brain flatulence CRS' no. 2 WR on the Colts around properly.

But in the end it doesn't matter, scheduling is destiny.

Click to expand...

Good reasons here are some more good reasons from another poster on
another site:

"I'd MUCH rather play the Jaguars than the Steelers. Steelers are hot right now, and Jags are either going to start Lefwich, who hasn't played in a while, or David Garrard, who sucks.

Jags are also a warm weather team who won't want to play up here in Foxboro. Not to mention that they are one of the less experienced teams, in terms of playoff experience, in the league"

If you don't have the confidence that you can win against any team, you shouldn't been champions. Champions should stand at the podium and declare it doesn't matter who they play, as in this second season, no team is more beatable than the next.

It's all about personal desires/rivalries or favorable positional matchups or edges. The later has proven irrelevant in the playoffs lately. It's all about gameplanning and execution where opponents don't matter.

As fans, yes, it's a different story - again - just personal desires and rivalries and revenge that comes into play.

If you don't execute and gameplan properly, you're screwed any way you slice it.

To think the Patriots are sitting there and saying "Oh, let's go for the #4 seed so we can have this and this matchup is asinine. They're playing to win, they're playing for a higher seed, they're playing for consistency, they're playing for chemistry, they're playing for the mission statement of the Patriots. It's the Lombardi trophy they have their eyes on, nothing more, nothing less.

Good reasons here are some more good reasons from another poster on
another site:

"I'd MUCH rather play the Jaguars than the Steelers. Steelers are hot right now, and Jags are either going to start Lefwich, who hasn't played in a while, or David Garrard, who sucks.

Jags are also a warm weather team who won't want to play up here in Foxboro. Not to mention that they are one of the less experienced teams, in terms of playoff experience, in the league"

I haven't seen good reasons for wanting to play the Steelers.

Click to expand...

It's really immaterial from the Patriots standpoint. Logically you want the JAGS here because they are probably the weakest link in the playoff chain and would be out of their element.

The three seed on the other hand could have significance down the road. so it is the only good reason to want to play the Steelers. Playing Pittsburgh is not the issue - we matchup well and have their number so to speak. But the physical style we play against them also takes a toll. That they could also do more damage against Cincy, Indy or Denver than the JAGS could is the other thing you hate to lose. But playing JAX in the first round is a much more favorable matchup for us.

If you don't have the confidence that you can win against any team, you shouldn't been champions. Champions should stand at the podium and declare it doesn't matter who they play, as in this second season, no team is more beatable than the next.

It's all about personal desires/rivalries or favorable positional matchups or edges. The later has proven irrelevant in the playoffs lately. It's all about gameplanning and execution where opponents don't matter.

As fans, yes, it's a different story - again - just personal desires and rivalries and revenge that comes into play.

If you don't execute and gameplan properly, you're screwed any way you slice it.

To think the Patriots are sitting there and saying "Oh, let's go for the #4 seed so we can have this and this matchup is asinine. They're playing to win, they're playing for a higher seed, they're playing for consistency, they're playing for chemistry, they're playing for the mission statement of the Patriots. It's the Lombardi trophy they have their eyes on, nothing more, nothing less.

Click to expand...

Which is the point of the thread, "your preference" for the WC game. The TEAM should be working on playing their very best and playing to win, as a fan, I would prefer for the team to have the lesser of two evils (Jax vice Pit/KC) to have one more game where the offense can improve their timing and the defense can improve their communications/coordination. Just a fan's reality, the team took a long time to come together this season, so anything that gets them playing better before the darling Colts or Shanahan's Broncos is a plus in my book. In the real world, I'll take the Pats against all comers, but even I indulge in the occasional fantasy.

If you don't have the confidence that you can win against any team, you shouldn't been champions. Champions should stand at the podium and declare it doesn't matter who they play, as in this second season, no team is more beatable than the next.

How in the world did you digress into this line of reasoning from the
simple poll question?????? weird!

It's all about personal desires/rivalries or favorable positional matchups or edges. The later has proven irrelevant in the playoffs lately. It's all about gameplanning and execution where opponents don't matter.

Wrong! Opponents do matter .... the oppponent's caabilities is the
basis from which a set of premsises are derrive and for which a game
plan evolves

As fans, yes, it's a different story - again - just personal desires and rivalries and revenge that comes into play.

If you don't execute and gameplan properly, you're screwed any way you slice it.

To think the Patriots are sitting there and saying "Oh, let's go for the #4 seed so we can have this and this matchup is asinine. They're playing to win, they're playing for a higher seed, they're playing for consistency, they're playing for chemistry, they're playing for the mission statement of the Patriots. It's the Lombardi trophy they have their eyes on, nothing more,
nothing less.

Wrong again! Belichick has revealed in last season playoffs that while
more than one team is a possibility for a play off game that he and his staff
are planning for each possible team. They will shoot for any advantage they
can get in the playoffs. That should be obvious.
Also note, it' s the next game they are focused on but Detroit relates to an overall strategey if one applies.
Also See comments below on playing for advantages

Click to expand...

You make generalized obvious statements and assume they prove soemthing
that we don't know. Of course "They're playing to win" of course they
want "consistency".

If you think for a moment that Belichick will not play for any advantage he
can get then you have not listened to the man's press conferences enough.
He knows and has eluded to the fact in this highly competitive league
you get what advantages you can get ..... even small insignificant ones.
If BB thinks playing the Jags gives the Pats an advantage in the long
run then he'll play for it. I would think that is obvious.

Some people here have suggested some of the advantages one way or
the other.